PRISM
- Research experience
- Grades 11–12
- In-person & virtual options
- Fall
- Mentorship
Partnership for Research Inspiration in STEM Mentorship
PRISM is a mentorship program that matches students with mentors in a team to engage in research that addresses a scientific question or engineering problem. PRISM prioritizes participation of students from Title I schools and rural schools. No previous research experience required – just curiosity and willingness to learn in a team setting.
This program is in collaboration with the University of Arizona Research and Partnerships Office of Societal Impact.
What do students gain from PRISM?
- Develop essential 21st-century skills including critical thinking, collaboration, and communication
- Build connections with University of Arizona professionals and community experts
- Enhance your college applications with meaningful research experience
Time commitment
- 4-5 hours a week
- Students can participate virtually or in person
- Participate in virtual student cohort meetings once a week for one hour on Tuesdays, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
- Meet with their research team once a week for 1-2 hours
- Work independently on the research project for 2 hours a week
- Expect to make PRISM your main afterschool activity for the fall of 2025 and be rewarded with a great experience, new skills, deeper knowledge, a strong community, and new perspectives on your path ahead
How it works
In-person orientation
- Students attend orientation at the University of Arizona campus
- Students will get to meet with their cohort and mentors to explore research options
- Students and mentors indicate their top three choices for research teams
Conducting research
- Students meet at least once a week, either virtually or in-person with mentors to receive guidance on the research design and research skills.
- Students meet once a week virtually with their cohort to learn about science communication and build community.
- Students develop the skills to answer their research question. Example: learning to code, wet lab experiments, field research, etc.
PRISM Symposium
- The PRISM Symposium takes place on the first Saturday in December
- Students will present their work to friends, family, and community either virtually or in-person
- Students can choose to present their work to the broader community (school presentation, science fair).
Important dates
Applications for PRISM are due April 10th, 2026.
The program runs from August 8th to December 5th with a break for Thanksgiving. Note: Students will be expected to continue research during fall break with their team.
- Student cohort meetings take place Tuesdays 5:30 – 6:30 in a virtual format
- August 8th, 15th & 16th, 2026 – In-person Orientation on the University of Arizona campus. Lodging, meals, and mileage reimbursement support will be provided for out-of-Tucson participants
- December 5th, 2026 – End of program symposium
Teacher Recommendation for PRISM
We rely on a science teacher who knows the participating student well to be the point of contact for PRISM staff if we need school support. Students need to have the teacher’s email and name when applying to PRISM. Once they apply, their teacher will get an automatic email asking them to endorse the student for the PRISM program.
Teacher responsibilities
The time commitment is flexible. Some teachers are more involved than others and that’s great, but it’s not a requirement. General check-ups would be great to make sure that the student is on track to succeed in PRISM. Some teachers have the capacity to allow their students to work on PRISM in their classroom; we would like to be informed of this so we know where the student is working.
If the student chooses to participate in a fair they might ask the teacher to act as an Adult Sponsor. At a minimum, this requires a conversation with the student regarding the safety of their project prior to the start of the project and to sign Form 1 Checklist for Adult Sponsor.
If there are any concerns about the student’s ability to succeed in the program please communicate with Brianne Loya, brianne@sarsef.org.
